The Piano Bench
The new season of “tent making” (bench and table making!) we’ve been looking towards for the past
few months is finally here! Today, at the Lord’s provision, we ordered the
final piece of hardware we’ll need to start this new chapter of “tent making” –
a Makita Brush Sander. Along with the sawmill, hand axes, and draw knives, this
brush sander is a tool I’ve grown pretty familiar with over the last 4 and a
half years, while working up north on the timber frame remodel project the Lord
has faithfully kept me on at. Paul was surely called to be an evangelist, and was in heart wherever God had him, but in the “in
between times” he worked at his other
“occupation” as a tent maker (Acts 18). Since leaving Food Services of America
(my “Egypt”) 18 years ago to do the work
of an evangelist with Climbers With Christ and give the Gospel away all
these years, God has faithfully provided the “tent making” work to keep stuff
going along the way. From sewing high end accessory pillows for Norwalk
Furniture of Spokane, cutting and selling firewood, and building ropes courses,
to the most recent of running the saw mill, excavating the foundation,
finishing the brick and rock work, and hand hewing, finishing and installing
most of the interior and exterior coverings on the timber frame project outside
of Ione. God has proved faithful in doing what the world would surely deem
impossible, and done way beyond what we could have ever thought or imagined
possible over all these years. Many of you have been part of this story yourself or heard some of the testimonies
through some of our newsletters.
Back in October, God began to show us that the tent
making season up north was coming to a close. As we began to be stretched and
pressed as never before, there was definitely much temptation to doubt and run,
by his grace, and through many of your prayers, we kept clinging to his words,
and in the midst of the struggles he kept clearly reminding us of his promises
and clearly told me “blessed are they that endure to the end”. He is faithful
to his word!
Kristina’s birthday is early in December, and during
this time I was able to make a couple of rustic
wood benches as a gift fro her. She had for some time wanted some matching
benches to go with the big wooden dinning table Josh and I built from some old
city park benches we salvaged. I also built an extra beefy oversized rustic
piano bench since ours was quite rickety. The wood was “scraps” from a
timber frame front door package I’d cut for the Ione project. Though they
definitely turned out pretty neat, other than the fact I had custom hand made
them for her myself, the benches did not seem that big of a deal as I had been
doing this type of work on the remodel for nearly 4 and a half years. I did
(do) enjoy hard manual outside work and working with my hands, and I also had
access to much rough cut lumber and a great wood shop almost daily. I’m a
climbing guide and an evangelist, and this was all “tent making”, so it never
occurred to me that while he was faithfully providing for our family and
ministry, God was also giving me a paid
4 and a half year apprenticeship in a new trade.
My friend completed the move of his family and
operation to Oregon in mid December. On one of the last moving days he told me
that if I could use it to continue to provide for our family and the Climbers’
ministry in any way, he wanted to “give” me the sawmill! The whole thing! I
could just have it! A double headed (2 saws) Brand X wing blade saw mill! Not just something you pull around
behind a pick-up or hook to a chainsaw. This is the mill I’d used to cut 90% of
the entire timber frame project home from. A $30,000.00 saw mill… as a gift! I told him that we’d been praying about what
the Lord had was next for us - along with Mountain School, family and CWC
ministry, and that we’d put it before the lord again, and check into where we might move it to. The next day,
a brother in the Lord living behind us told us we could put the mill on a piece
of his property a half mile down the road from where we’re living!
We said yes to the saw mill gift as it seemed at least
part of an answer to the “what’s next Lord” prayers we’d been praying. Their
move was completed. The house and property in Ione sold. The new owners kept me
on to complete two other building projects on the property, which I completed
last week.
Back to the benches and saw mill though. While having
company during the Christmas holiday time, I showed Kristina’s gift bench’s to
some friends. They asked if we knew how much people were paying for stuff like
that, and if I could/would make them some? We began to pray even more about the
“wood-working stuff” as a possible next family
occupation. On January 3rd
early in the morning, I wrote down part of my prayer in my journal…
Lord,
you’ve brought so many tools (or possible tools). If the benches and
woodworking is truly of you – where we’re heading, would you bring the impact
driver, chop saw, wire wheel, and maybe a newer circular saw?... You know
what’s best and/or needed where you’re taking me (us). Please provide and guide
as you see fit. I’m trusting you Lord. …Today please Lord.”
Early in the afternoon that same day, Kristina brought
the mail in. We had not been receiving any that week, due to an error in the
local delivery system. Our mail was for some “unknown reason” being delivered
down the road. That day they got it
right! We know now why the mail had been stopped up ‘till that day, God was doing HIS timing stuff! In the larger than normal
pile of mail that day Kristina came
across a bank check from some friends in another
country! A check written to Stan and Kristina Busby for $5,000.00! That day! Since then we knew this day and brand new season was coming. The “tent making sawyering and woodworking apprenticeship” up north is finished. We’re going to be doing some woodworking ourselves – as a family! Praise Jesus! As seems to always be with us and our Shepherd, we’re on a need to know, day to day basis. Like those coming to the high ropes course or the local rock climb, we’re still in the trust building factory too. I’ve never been a “tool” shopping” kind of guy, and have acquired a fair farm and family set of tools over the years. It was quite fun however to have the full blessing of the Lord to begin to shop for an impact driver, a chop saw, a circular saw, and a wire wheel!
Through the years of Climbers ministry we’ve sought the
Lord for a way (or ways) that I could work from home when not out guiding and
sharing the Gospel on Climbers outings. Something “trade wise” that would not
only provide for our family, but also continue to help fund what the Lord continues
to do through CWC. No doubt, our Father brought us to this place and this looks
to be definitely an opportunity to doing something trade wise that my family – especially my growing sons can work
along side with me at, and into for themselves someday. (Though I still believe
at least one or all of them will continue in the mountain guide evangelist role
in some form or another!) Regardless of what “occupation” or trade they take
up, they (as ALL of Jesus’ followers) will still have to learn to “walk and live by faith”!
“Now the just
shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no
pleasure in him... But without faith it
is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek him. (Hebrews 10-11)
Starting with those things that I’ve already custom
made, we’re going to start talking orders for rustic benches, coffee
tables, and farm style tables.
Selling them through a family blog linked to the Climbers With Christ website, and probably on Craigs List. We’ll see what the Lord will do!
We are definitely still climbing on with Jesus!!
If you’d like to find out more about the different
styles and sizes of custom rustic benches or tables check out the Woodwork Products tab above, OR if you’d like to order
one (or ones) please let us know.
Contact us at:
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